Fallout: Winter Wasteland
by Shokubeni
Summary: Based on the Fallout Universe in a Nuclear Winter Wasteland in the New York North Country where Civilization has once again thrived but are in threat of being eradicated by the abominations that lurk around. The story takes place in North Star with James Bohusk, Intellectual yet insecure and anti-social, who gets deeply involved with a stranger in hopes of saving his settlement.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

A special guest for a special time

James was having the worst anxiety of today, especially when it was girls night out at the fur moo most of the women were old mothers, they brought their young eye candy daughters with at the the bar counter awkwardly while cleaning out cups for customers to use, he couldn't stop his eyes from falling on the sight of one particular girl in front of her on the stool. She was wearing a very thick white fur outfit made out of Snow fang, a overly sized radiated breed of wolf, and had big wide brown eyes that seemed to talk to James whenever she blinked tiresome at her glass. The front of her ebony hair quite adorably touched down to the shoulders of her coat, and was shining from the dirty ceiling light of the make shift metallic pupil of her eyes were hollow and wide like that of a canine in a majestic way, and her mouth was shaped like a model from pre-war magazines. In a trance his ringed eyes stared at her and his body stopped the activity of his job like one of many robots that just shut down as it ran out of energy the sudden halt of the bartender's motion, the fur coat girl cocked her head to James' face, and with ecstatic motion, his eyes widened large, realizing the awkward moment and quickly proceeded to stare back at the counter cleaning out the cup and doing the programed activity as the wind from outside blew viciously as silence made the tension worst. His mind filled with a split second shame of that moment thinking how creepy or very off putting he must have been from her view. Tending to other customers from the corner of his eyes he noticed the fur coat girl giggling, and moved her empty glass an inch away from her indicating she wanted another drink. As he went back to her filling her glass, she gave a happy but weak smile staring at the counter, which gave James a slight bit of comfort and happiness, which was as most things are, interrupted by a loud familiar booming voice that his ears had adapted to since childhood;

"Little James! Come over here quick! We need some help! Ross take the counter!"

The sound of his uncles voice gave pains to all customers ears, but James became alert and unaffected. Dashing to his solid chested uncle, James grabbed his coat stripped with darkbrown brahmin fur and lightbrown fur of Flake eyes, his long deceased husky. He also got his fingerless mittens he had found from a trader from Red M Den who claimed it from a super duper mart.

"So whats happening? Winter Guards attacking or a pack of Snow fangs that need to be skinned?" asked James more relaxed,but alert with anxiety fading from the work at the counter. The winter wind gave a harsh hello as they stepped out of the saloon and started heading down the road covered in flakes zooming and racing by on high ultra speeds.

"Nah, trust me, the sheriff would be up in arms with his little justice squad to blast 'em away or holler howl before anyone would know"Uncle Chaz deeply giggled in a rough tone. He always had time to pull a tease on someone even in the most dire or wrong times."We found a traveler from down south who got through the south side without getting shot up by the winter guards, but he collapsed on the border of the bridge and since the sheriff is paying me plenty o' caps, he wants us to quietly take him to the doc a' top of brad munson's and give him some help."

James became rather confused and a bit hesitant on why the sheriff would pay him and his uncle to discretely escort a stranger. North star wasn't the biggest settlement for people to pass through, aside from the typical hunter and caravan, and they would only enter from the north, so a traveler entering from the south where the winter guards were sounded as insane as a grass filled winter guards as James learned, were "ghouls" or survivors of the bombs that went through a tremendous amount of radioactivity and transformed into a dead carcass of people like zombies from old horror tapes. They were as people put it, "buried under the horrendous they emerged from the snow with blind hate and skin molded with the snow that buried them, their eyes as lifeless yet bright speak for no fellow human, but for one another and do not provide the pleasure of having us hear their voice, unless it was the last we ever hear." James just assumed it was mere camp fire stories that was made for the entertainment of a cruel and bored person amused at kids trembling, and figured the winter guards were just raiders dressed up to put fear in their victims. The bridge was just in plain sight, and could see what uncle chaz had called them "The Justice squad", wearing thick armored coats and face covers with a painted metal on their armor "N.S.". The sheriff As James had learned as a child, was the founder of the settlement and that before it was once an outpost for the first successful human settlement down south, New sheriff at that time was commander Daniel "Dawn" Volker of the militia sent to spot any new territories or empty ruins worth what I hear, the reason it became a settlement was because of the bust of travelers and traders making trade and shelter around the outpost for safety, and Daniel saw this as a step into creating another community in hopes of one day restoring humanity or as Chaz says "To wage our insecure little package around in the future and start blowing shit up again".Chaz always had some resentment against Daniel for reasons even James is unaware it was the amount of schemes and tricks Chaz would try to make that was always interfered by Daniel, since Chaz was at best, a sucker for only reason people haven't run Chaz out of North Star is still unclear to James. Maybe it's that he runs the only saloon in the town, maybe he has deep connections with other traders keeping this place running, or maybe he does favors for people like right now with this stranger escort the wind whipped James face and his nose became pure red,the thoughts of his uncle's deceitful kleptomaniac like behavior was soon erased from his mind. James and uncle Chaz made it to the bridge, Sheriff Daniel, or "Dawn" as he likes people calling him, stood on the other side that was barricaded with make shift metal walls blocking entrance to what used to be the market district and very small suburbs of the Sheriff wore the thickest bear coat anyone could ever have, making his size more tremendous than it already was, and made it look like he was a bear even used the paws of a bear as mittens and the only way of indicating that he was human was his pale white face with a huge scuffed up beard in shade of red rust wearing biker goggles and a pre-war state trooper hat. Carrying a ten millimeter pistol by holster on the hip, he motioned around, cupping his hands to his mouth mitten-less to provide warmth. As "Bad ass" as his bear gloves were, they obviously weren't the best use when it came to combat, especially firing a pistol.

"The tough bastard is over on the walkway, we covered him up with a Stimpak and gave him one of our coats but the poor fuck is freezing his ass off. I don't need anyone to know about him sneaking through here around south cause it might just cause some people to go out and get killed thinkin' they'll be able to take those white zombies, got it?" The sheriff shouted as the cold windy night roared over his voice.

"Why yes sheriff, we'll do just that."Uncle Chaz gave that classic hungry grin and wide eyed look that James only knew would be a sign of a greedy plan now plotted.

Authors Note:I hope this at least caught some attention to people on the story, if not then please leave some criticism for me to come back to or anything and I'll look back as soon as I master the ways of this very abnormal website. :P


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter2:

An eighteen carrot stroke of good luck

As Chaz carted the stranger over his brute shoulders, James was tasked with carrying the stranger's backpack was typical pre-war, except for the extra made sack stringed to the side of it that was made of a fur pelt of some kind. It was too dark and screaming cold to really care or to know what animal it was from, and James at this point only cared for the pleasant welcomes of a heated room with warmth embracing the frigid cold off his body. As him and Chaz tracked, he kept observing the stranger on Chaz's back. From Jame's observation from the light projecting from the distant barrels with flame in it to give a lit path, the stranger looked African American, with a noticeable cut on his eyes were closed as if sleeping, but his head bobbed slightly with his lip moving shakingly to indicate his consciousness from the wind. The clothes that he was wearing that could barely be observed from the coat around his body. It was a red baseball cap that has been ripped and torn, showing more of his bald was wearing blue jeans that had the right of his pant leg ripped apart as if a snow fang got to him, no doubt that he was chased by the Winter guard's domesticated pack. noticing more of his mauled up appearance, James saw a big metal cylinder like tech of some sort that was around the stranger's left arm. among the cylinder tech was a built in glove. It had a terminal like screen that was black indicating it wasn't on. under the screen was three red buttons and on the left was a a built in was a thermomiter of some sort with a built in stick. Trying to observe more of the strange contraption, he was interrupted by Uncle Chaz's roaring voice;

"Little Jame's! when we get to Brad's, you're going to carry our guest up the stairs and into the doc's office, then you're going to stay with him until I get back, and that is going to be a while you got that?" James knew not to question Chaz about this, for it was one of his "other businesses" which involved more favors and possibly another scheme.

As they traversed to the gas station with the sign "The Munsons" which is up the road from Fur moon saloon, Chaz slowly got the man on his back to get on his two legs to lean against James under the the flickering street light powered by the fission battery. James slid the strangers' backpack arms around his shoulder. the stranger gave a very quiet but deep moan that only James could hear as the damaged man very slowly and painfully walked along with James as they head through the back of the store and up the creaky snow filled stairs that were icy so one slip and James might break more the man's James struggled to have the man copy and keep formation of his feet up the stairs, he heard the man mumbled very quietly yet breathlessly;

"Where...*breathes* Where..we going..?" James was a bit shocked that the man had the strength to talk, and the question put a slight stiff down his spine worst than the cold.

The only answer he could provide as an excuse of comfort was this;

"Help...We're uhh...Getting help. You're going to be okay...okay?" As the man tried to utter another word, a violent cough bursted out of his mouth and soon became silent as the doctor opened the door to the balcony.

"Ahh! There you are ! I take it the wounded little dog with you is our special little guest?"The doctor said giving a happy smile with his green eyes shining from the balcony light.

Doctor Bowers always reffered to James in a gentlemen like matter than anyone else, maybe because Bowers views him as a kindred spirit of the he always did have a weird form of speech, referring to his clients as wounded dogs or rabbits, or ill mothers and fathers. Some people rumour that he once experimented with Jet, more so to the point where the only way he could cope with the mental obsession of it is by constantly giving codes or names to people. Of course the people that guess that aren't a better doctor than Bowers used to bring him and teach him things of holotapes,books,and audio recordings of just about anything he could find in the ginormous blue school ruin that the N.S. nicknames "Cold Silence" as a joke of how footsteps and voices echoes across the interiors. As James cocked his head up to take the last step to the balcony with the damaged man, he said quite contently;

"Haha yeah, Chaz wants me to stay with him until he gets back. I am sure you're aware of what Sheriff Dawn wants right?"James has never been more comfortable and relaxed talking to anyone in North Star but Bowers, due to the simple fact that Bowers would listen ear fulls of what problem's a person had, and he would only flood your ears with elementary like advice or just give you any amount of comfort with sincere eyes that was enough to tell you he is was wearing a fur hat and a winterized Chineese outfit that James seen from the Pre-war propaganda ads in the magazines he would read about the Foreign infiltrators in Alaska.

"Oh that little Husky shit! Always off doing the naughty huh? *softly laughs*I digress, let's bring this man in before he dies of hypothermia from us chitter chatting!" James helped the doctor put the patient on the bed, stripped them of clothing to observe wounds and infections, brought a buck of water,a fresh clean cloth, doctors bag carrying medical tools like scalpels, bone saw, medical brace, and other such tools with a bundle of chems. putting the cloth in the warm water and applied it to the patient's thirty or so minutes of examination Bower's conducted the analysis;

"Lacerated claw marks, pieces of shrapnel stuck in arm,second degree burns, fever, frost bite of the toes yep. Those ghouls put him through the ringer all right. How he survived however is beyond cold has been hazardous and with a hazardous weather, comes more hazardous chances of Winter Guards invading. I am surprised they haven't even attempted to attack the bridge yet, they're already closing in as it is and took over the market district. *sighs* That Sheriff is going to have to make a decision that's not gonna sit well.."His tone was more professional and more serious at this point, his eyes plain without emotion as he proceeded on treating his patient by injecting his vein with med-x to sedate him.

"What decision?"James asked showing a slight startled confusion with his mouth left a jar. "Nothing ..Nothing as dire yet, at least I hope not. To put in smaller terms, we might need the help of people who make Chaz look like a saint." His eyes stared at James with hollow gaze. "I doubt Dawn will do that any time 's more content to go all in at the poker table than to even look at the cards first let alone get any help,thus is the result of breaking that promise to Dominik."Bowers then took out the shrapnel stuck in the patient's arm through means James had to peak away in order to keep from becoming light headed.

Just before James could even think of the promise that Mayor and former overseer Dominik Moore demanded,and was broken, one of the members of the "Justice Squad" busted through the door.

"You're not fucking going to believe what we just saw over the bridge!"he points his cracked finger at the patient on the bed as the cold seeps through him from the doorway."That mother fucker killed all of them in the market district!"

That's when my eyes gave back to the patient, who was fast asleep as Bowers tried to continue the treatment, but the look on his face as he proceeded was clear sign of his shock.

"Are you sure that you're not seeing things boy?"Loudly Bowers asked still trying to concentrate.

"Have Chaz's boy follow me and see for himself! I am telling you the place is littered with bodies of them! We barely noticed some of them except for the ones dead on the porch of the shops!"

James looked at to see what he should do, only stared tired like and motioned his eyes to the pack on Jame's back as indication of leaving it here. "You'll only be gone for just a couple of minutes, I am sure Chaz won't come barging in just yet, and even so I think he'll understand."

He gave James one weak smile with his green eyes sparking as James headed out the door with the guard. James walked back down to the bridge where most of the men were still guarding except for the Sheriff, and the barricade was open.

"Make sure if anyone passes by, that you steer them away. only Chaz and his boy gets to see the Sheriff"said the guard to the others"Alright kid go ahead I'll be right behind you."

Jame's anxiety was reaching it's limit step he took felt like another step towards a black hole with the presence of something large,primitive and bestial deep inside. at the far end of the cracked road he could see an electrical lantern floating in the distance with feet surrounding it and showing off one of the bodies on the ground and parts of the market district and up towards it scared half to death of the anxiety, he shouted;

"Guys! I am here!What's going on?!"

As soon as he was five feet away from them the lantern blinded him for a split second before seeing the face of the ten millimeter pointed straight at him by the hands of Sheriff Dawn and the sight of his dead eye glare that was ready to kill.

"Sheriff are you deaf? that's my boy! You better take down that gun before you end up shooting the wrong people,you dumb ass!" The once booming voice of Jame's Uncle seemed to echo louder with anger through the empty street as he put his big mutant like hands on the sheriff's shoulder applying pressure on it.

The sherrif lowered his gun and closed his wrinkled eyes;

"My senses aren't what they used to be Chaz...I am sorry James."He slid the pistol back in the holster and with two fingers squeezed his nostrols to block the horrid smell that James then noticed.

"So how's the guy James? The Doc patching him up good?"Uncle Chaz's voice was now calm and less ear damaging, which is rare for James.

James regained his posure and took a deep breath as anxiety lifted away.

"Uhh yeah..So did he really do this..? All of it?"James asked as he stared at all the dead bodies of what was once a Winter Guard.

The look of them reminded them so much of what the folks used to to tell him as a kid. "buried under the horrendous snow,Then they emerged from the snow with blind hate and skin molded with the snow that buried them, their eyes as lifeless yet bright speak for no fellow human, but for one another and do not provide the pleasure of having us hear their voice, unless it was the last we ever hear." Those corpses seemed to match the description. Their skin was pure white as snow and their lifeless eyes and grotesque face seemed so much zombie like it was surreal. And for a long time, James felt that terrifying feeling of experiencing the unknown whether it was of how dangerous the stranger truly was, or how terrifying the threat of the Winterguards truly were.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Just a Delivery man

Eyes began to open blurring, and a pounding headache was soon a brought on his forehead like a nail being hammered in, one slam after the other. His eyes are greeted to the sight of a dirty ceiling, and quickly realizes he is in a bed.  
"*Moans*...Oh...What...Wher-..Wait.."Lemar began to observe the area.  
A barely lit room from the candle on the on the table is a notebook and of course a terminal on the far left with a light green glow coming from the screen indicating that the recent user left it the other corner is a book case full of doctor bags, anti-toxin chems and other forms of medical tools and supplies. Next to the drawer is another bed, same as the one he is which is a single one man bed, with a dirty mattress and a thick fur of a blanket.  
"Well look! Sleeping Beauty is awake! Let me get the gnomes!" A loud joking voice cried and gave Lemar a static jump of his arms and chest and his head quickly turned to the left of his bed to meet the strange man talking.  
"Whoa! Take it easy! Didn't mean to startle been out for the whole night. Do you remember anything?"  
The strange men had a weird fur hat, and some winterized outfit that was only seen from pre-war propaganda of Chinese green eyes began to slightly Startle Lemar as it was wide and alien like to him. His skin was pale white blatantly indicating Caucasian, and the question that the man asked began to become a spiral of projections in Lemar's mind.  
"Uhh...Yes...I do..I was..I was attacked..by these things..They blended in the snow but were outlined by their footsteps and by the buildings..They had big giant wolves...only other thing I can remember some people finding me and putting me against a railing of a bridge with a coat...Everything else seems to be a blur except for me being carried."  
The strange man stared listening with his hands folded as he sat on the chair;"Interesting...The people that found you are a group of militia of this settlement that you're now ones that's carried you are of the towns folk. You caused quite the stir in last nights events...Tell me.. do you remember killing all those things you just explained?"  
Lemar felt tired and exhausted, more so weak to barely comprehend the knowledge he was being fed let alone had the patience and the amount of strength to easily answer body felt entirely beat up and felt an over weight scar on his lips whenever he moved his mouth slightly to breathe. he took a breath and his diaphragm expanded inward and out, he could feel the sharp pains of the claw marks covered in bandages on his chest. He answered anyways;  
"Barely...I try not to really think when I fight...*moans* for my life...Where am I? Who are you...?  
Lemar realized his pack was at the doorway along with his a quick glance than back at the man he waited for a response;  
"I am , I am the one who obviously took care of you. You have stumbled upon North Star, a small little place that is between New Potsdam and Red M Den. I am assuming you are of close friends or relative to Dominik Moore of New Potsdam? you do have a Pip-Boy on your arm."  
Lemar's tired eyes widened to a solid then raised his left arm to look at the contraption attached to it. closing his hands to a fist to feel his fingers squeeze tight against the palm of his hand from the glove.  
"Yeah well that doesn't matter...I came here to deliver a message and head north is all...Nothing special *Cough*...Where's the kid that brought me...?  
gave a quizzical and serious look;"He's off at the Saloon, He's the bartender in town...What do you want with him anyway?"  
Lemar then remembered the slight gaze of the young man's face as he helped him up the stairs. The boy's dirty blonde hair that barely covered his eyebrows like that of the blanket covering Lemar. The boy's expression as he restlessly breathed carrying Lemar that gave notice to his crystal blue eyes transcended a bit of familiarity that was unknown to him.  
"Just need to thank him is all.."Lemar gave a very cold sleepy gaze and tried keeping his eyes wide awake.  
"You should get some more sleep. I promise if you can't walk, I'll get the boy here to have you thank him okay?" gave a fatherly like smile at Lemar, Lemar nodded his head and stared back to the ceiling before falling asleep again.  
As James dug his hands deep in the cup with the wash cloth, his eyes could barely keep open. Last night was the worst sleep he ever he would at least stay up in his bed just for a bit to over analyze the movements he had made at work or in public and how people saw him,Just to waste the adrenaline in his head. but James felt haunted. The sight of the corpses littered about the empty market district that Sheriff Dawn was right now reclaiming kept pouring in his mind. The man that he carried that was too weak to walk on his own somehow successfully accomplished a massacre. Those winter guards were cold and empty, yet still terrifying as if they were still alive. Their rotten white skin showing edges of their skeleton, their noses were gone, and their hair was split and teared off. The eyes though was the worst for James. It was like a bizarre coat of paint from dark blue surrounding a circle of white. How they can impose the form of a human yet become unfamiliar like one was beyond any comprehension of James. Like a scared little kid James jumped and freak out when ever the wind blew or the metal walls creaked thinking it was the white zombies or Ghouls. Washing the cup and facing his head down to the table awkwardly as usual to avoid attention, he noticed two hands on the counter in front of him. They were soft and woman like, and examining more the sleeves that the hands poked out from was the same familiar white coat sleeve of a snow quickly looked back up to the owner of the hands and saw the familiar face of beauty from last night. Her big brown canine eyes met with Jame's, leaving his mouth a jar and in a trance once lips easily projected a smile that was so perfect and clean and the only indication of it being real and not the classic fake ones out of a model magazine was by the chap of it from the cold. Her cute little pointed nose seemed to reflect as much light from the counter light than her beautiful ebony hair.  
"You been very tired lately,Maybe you should take a break and go for a walk with me. Get some fresh air and company."  
Jame's has been having a tiring week aside from last night's to how Ross, Uncle Chaz's "other employee" was busy doing other side jobs, Jame's was stuck with Ross' 's thinking of the offer but very speechless and shocked that such a beautiful person would want to company him, let alone talking to him was a first. Trying to hide his dumbfounded look and change his tone to more of a calm and "cool" one he said;  
"Yeah...Uhh...I-I guess I could for just a minute. I can't really leave for long cause my uncle will kill me *Forcing a weak laugh*"  
"Ohhh Well okay Mr. Responsibility.*Rolls her eyes jokingly*" She slipped her head slightly giving a cute judgmental stare that only made Jame's head grow red with blushed enlightenment.  
Jame's went out to the front door where his coat and mittens were hanging, after slipping them on, and having the girl waiting ever so "patiently", he checked the bar for any customers that was waiting around the bar and so far it was vacant, so he head out for the first time with anyone that wasn't or Chaz, much less a girl. "Oh great...Now I am most likely going to have Chaz breathing down my neck for this!" James thought to himself as he opened the door. Outside of the bar through the front entrance were Snow banks that were made by the shoveling of Chaz and some of the towns folk cleared out last towns people tend to do all sorts of stuff for Chaz because of the favors he does for them and him being the only supplier in alcohol and booze. As James awkwardly walked with the girl with his hands deep in his coat pockets and cocking his head down, the bright white of the ground projected by the sun seemed a bit blinding since James was only used to being out at night or at the break of finally broke the ice, or rather the metaphorical one;  
"So James, I hear you're quite the smart one around here huh? What little interesting facts do you know." She softly rugged her arm against his shoulder playfully giving James a bit of sweat and the strangest sensation of his heart pounding fast but in a way that felt as if it was glowing or dipped in a warm pot of water.  
"Uhh..Yeah I guess, but the real genius is . He's the one that taught me of things like ancient pre-war American history and holotapes of music performances and what they called also taught me ways around the modules of robots and how to bypass Terminal's security the most interesting things like creating toxic chemicals or dealing with wild experiments *chuckles quietly*"  
James stared at her reaction, her face gave a plain look but her eyes staring into James was something far different. The big lush majestic eyes of hers seem to bring an alluring message into Jame's as they continued walking passed Munson's, but James was too shy and inept to know what. Then an instant expression of realization came to the coat girl and she began to talk again to bring less attention;  
"Ohh well *Nervously stares at her feet* that sounds interesting actually. I like to read whatever comics the traders can scavenge up for me. You know like Grognak the Barbarian or whatever old tech magazine I can read."She began to morph into James in where she cocked her head to the ground awkwardly staring at him. She began to bite her lips with her small yet wolf like fang indicating more nervousness.  
"I never really got your name...I mean you don't have to tell me, but it would help in case we...hang out...or..stuff."  
They both halted while James gave a very pale nerve racking expression about attempting to ask the name of what he said to himself in thoughts," A beautiful flawless divine like person". James was always a helpless romantic due to the many pre-recorded plays that he would watch about such as "Romeo and Juliet", but never really had the chance or the bravery to go and experience it.  
The coated girl giggled at his words; "Kaitlyn..Kaitlyn Deloria. I'm kinda new around here so to speak..which is probably why you haven't seen me before."  
James noticed her expression from flattered nervousness to a distant and sad glare at him that she tried to hide by moving her eyes around like a music instructor.  
"Why did you want me to walk with you...If I may ask..?" James gave a more calm expression, maybe due to how nervous he was somehow able to make Kaitlyn.  
"Well...You seem rather nice from what I hear...Plus you seem very interesting because of how quiet and mysterious you are or at least of what the people say about you."  
James had the most confused and slightly worried look on his face that gave Kaitlyn a bad sign.  
"Oh no, no! Not like that! Not anything mean! They just talk about how distant you are to others aside from your uncle and that doctor. Like a lot of the people are worried...I know I shouldn't ask or talk about this but...A lot of they talk about is your dead parents and how your uncle drags you around and.."  
She stopped talking only to see James' eyes dead cold and wide in silence. Ever since James was eight, he tried to suppress the death of his mother in her bed, and the feelings of abandonment when his father left. The sight of the mother's bright heaven blonde hair touching the tips of the blanket covering her with a peaceful sleeping face, as Uncle Chaz, who at the time was about the same age as James is now, sobbed violently as he held her numb hands to his face. It brought that distant feeling of a dark figure hovering over him, with tears drifting to the back of his eyes, then all of a sudden a big force was applied to his chest and before he knew it, he felt two small arms and the warmth of another body pressed against his. Looking down on his skinny chest was Kaitlyn's angelic face and her hair getting in the his throat dry and his mind blank with lips not being able to move, James just stood there as Kaitlyn gave onto him the most affectionate thing in the "Winter Wonderland" he hasn't had since the passing of his mother and Flake though Uncle Chaz gave James a roof over his head and plenty of space and never did he once questioned or judge James anti social and reclusive behavior, but he never seem to stay long enough or to have time to guide or to at least become a sufficient father figure to James. As much as James wanted to let tears fall and to break down, he quickly swallowed them up when he noticed down the road where Munson's was, was Dr. Bowers in his Chinese Soldier outfit jogging up the road towards them hollering;  
" ! There you are! I figured you be at the Saloon!"  
Hearing the howl of the jittery Doctor, Kaitlyn instantly unlatched her arms from around James chest and paced her distance a couple feet or more in hopes that the public display of affection wasn't noticed by Bowers as he made it in front of them.  
"I see you have met ,How adorable you two look together!"He said cheerily Affecting James with a blush face of embarrassment as well as Kaitlyn's."Sadly however, The stranger wishes for your acquaintance and to do so with haste, since he is planning on leaving quite soon."  
James as curious as he was, felt rather intrigued with why the stranger would want to meet him, but yet a sense of anxiety once again crept up on him from the grave memories of the aftermath he left from last night. He stared at Kaitlyn who gave a very charmed grin at him;"Well go on. Don't want me to disturb your little social life you seem to be getting." She then flicked her finger up the tip of James nose which gave a little sting causing a light "ouch!" and she dashed off up the road to the ruined suburban areas leading to the Cold Silence ruin, with her Snow fang coat lifting up in the air revealing her matching white fur boots and her slightly ripped blue skirt with black leggings like that from the girls in Chaz's "fashion magazine" under his bed .  
That gave James quite the amount of laughable joy at Kaitlyn's childishness for a while as he walked down along with back to the upstairs clinic of Brad's gas station.  
"Well that's quite a first sight to see"Said , still egging against James embarrassment with a shit eating grin.  
"Yeah, whatever. She asked me to walk with her, so don't act like I am some charismatic hot shot." James looked at Bowers with a agitated look which only proved to make Bowers laugh.  
"Don't have such a grumpy face ! Besides it was a first for as hasn't really gotten to socialize along with anyone since she got here so you're quite the lucky dapper"Bowers said insuring sibling like tease as he patted the back of James' messy long dirt blonde hair that was starting to grow over his ears.  
"Wait what? She hasn't talked to anyone else?I'm the only one? How do you even know?" James was again dumbfounded as he thought such a beauty would have attracted most wild hungry men would be rolling with applause or at least enjoying it.  
"I know because she was one of my patients from Red M those types of treatments the most ugliest ones. I can't really talk much about her situation due to how personal and private wants me to keep, but ever since my treatment for her, she decided to simply move hasn't been much social except for visiting me on my off hours just to chat and give her company, and of course as you seen, tending to her liquor habit. But anyways-"  
"Wait! When did she move here?"This was very rare for James to simply cut off Bowers and because of this, that gave Bowers a shocked surprise.  
"Well aren't you just a jittery bunny. What did she do? Promised wild recreations of your repressed wild fantasies? She moved here just this 's been held up in the school ruin, in that chorus room that leads to the Auditorium for about almost the whole week. She just started going to the saloon a couple days ago because I became too busy to buy her any more booze. Now don't take that like she feeds off as a parasite because I volunteered." Bowers gave that a very strong smile like that of a father seeing his son take his first steps.  
James could only guess it had something to do with how it was his first time in a long time since he socialized with anyone else;"No! I just...Just figure I get to know her a bit more is all..Why does she stay there though? I mean no one lives there except for some scavengers and strays."  
"Maybe like you, she just wants to be far away from people, and for good reasons. She's been through quite a lot in Red M Den.I personally wish for that place to be pillaged by those Winter guards, hell even have our militia wipe it out just to expand our territory, but sadly Red M Den has become the prime resource of our survival due to trade and such.*Sigh* Well changing the subject,The man as I said before would like to meet you. Says he needs to thank you. I haven't got much information off him except that he is a messenger of some sorts and that his name is Lemar Barnes."  
James didn't really like the idea of talking to Lemar especially because of the fatalities he left, even if it was well deserved. James kept clenching his mind to Kaitlyn to ease his fear that pumped his heart fast each step he took towards the gas station, and even faster as they walked up the they stepped on the balcony, Bowers acknowledged James fear;  
"Don't worry, he's still weak. He's not going to do much around me.*Chuckles*"  
Taking a deep breath James finally wrapped his hands around the rusty door nob and pushed the white boarded up door.  
As the two men walked through the door after whispering those words, Lemar with only his jeans on without being buttoned, cocked his forty-four millimeter revolver preparing to take on his captors. Lemar thought to himself; "I'm not going to get forced against my will into another shithole.I am going to give these fucks more than just a delivery!"


End file.
